Gladiator
by Bad one
Summary: I think title says all...Go HiME/Otome gladiators! I don't know what more to write, so better check it. ShizNat and other pairings will wait for you!


Hi everybody! It is me again with new story hehe. Although have to warn that this one I will upload slower than others. After all **ethnewinter **agreed to help me and as you know she is very busy person, but her help is really good and I think my writing will improve even more now XD So yeh big thanks **ethnewinter**! And you can correct me as long as you like, it is only better for me :)

Now about story...as title already says it is about Gladiators! Everything will happen during Republican Period of Rome when there was no Emperor and thing like "thumbs down" so gladiators weren't condemned to death what gives them more chances to stay alive :)

Also want to warn that characters can be OoC and that I will have to change some history as well, hope you don't mind. And all information that will be needed I will give as soon as I will get to that topic! Now read and enjoy, I hope you wll ;)

**DISCLAIMER: **Don't own the show, but I do own the idea of this plot!

* * *

Chapter 1

The end

The sun was shining brightly, illuminating the lands beneath it. The small village was seen near the river and a lot of people working hard on fields, fishing, or just helping around the house.

Not one of the families was an exception.

Two girls were working hard and sweating beneath the hot sun while helping their families. The blue-haired girl with deep-green eyes was using an axe to cut beams, doing it easily with one hit. The other girl was collecting the beams in her hands before carrying them away into the shed and complaining:

"Why do I have to collect all these beams?! I want to chop too!"

"I'm older, so it is my work to chop them" another smiled in reply.

"Hey! But I'm not so young! I can do it too!"

"Hai hai" she laughed.

"You know, it doesn't help" the younger girl glared, making the other smirk "And take that stupid smile away from your face before I do it."

"Make me"

"Don't test my patience" she warned.

"Oh, I know your patience very well and I know it will run out right now" and with those words she stuck out her tongue.

"That's it!" She threw all the logs on ground "Give me that axe!"

"You wish!"

"I said give it to me!" roared the girl.

"Make me"

"Alright, you asked for it!" roared younger one before throwing herself on elder girl—who just smiled more widely.

The younger one grabbed onto axe with both hands and pulled, trying to get it from the elder's grasp. She tensed her muscles and pulled the weapon using all her force. The green-eyed girl, however, stepped back and rashly turned her upper body to the side, which made the younger girl fall into the dirt. Loud laughter was heard as the elder girl watched her opponent, who was all covered in dust and trying to get up.

"Good try Nina, but you still have a lot of things to learn."

"Na-tsu-ki! I will punch you really hard for that!"

"I'm ready" the girl smirked and took a frightening position.

Before the orange-eyed girl could do anything, a loud voice was heard.

"Nina! How many times do I have to repeat it? Do not to fight with your cousin!" said a young blonde farmer who was returning from the fields with two more people: a dark-haired man and a woman.

"But Otou-san! It was she who started!" was heard.

"Me? I didn't attack you. It was you who tried to take axe away from me"

"Because you didn't want to give it to me!"

"Why should I? You already had your work"

"But I want to chop!"

"You are too young for that" answered the girl with crossed hands.

"I'm not! I'm already seventeen! We are only three years apart!"

"Which means you have to do more dirty work" the older girl grinned.

"Not fair!"

"Natsuki please stop teasing your cousin" came the protest—from none other than Natsuki's mother "And if you think that younger people have to do more dirty work then I have work for you."

"Huh?"

"Go to the shed and take all the manure out."

"Wha—??" gasped the girl, with a wide-open mouth.

"You heard your mom, now go" said the dark-haired man, who was her father.

"Why me?!" Natsuki demanded.

"You are younger than us, so go" the man answered in serious tone.

"Damn!"

"Natsuki!"

"Alright, alrigt! I'm going!"

"Heh, it serves you right" smirked Nina.

"As I remember, our hut needs to be cleaned too" started Nina's father while rubbing his chin.

"_NANI_?!" exclaimed the girl.

"I'm sure you will be able to do it, Nina-chan" he smiled gently at his daughter who was going to protest. "I believe in you."

These words made Nina close her mouth before saying another protest.

"Hai, Otou-san" she said, heading towards her house while Natsuki was already working in their hut.

"You are really mean Sergay" said Natsuki's mother.

"Well she told me that she wants to be a warrior, I'm just preparing her."

"And does cleaning a shed have something to do with it?"

"Hard work is one of the most important things in becoming a warrior."

"I'm sure she will be a great one" admitted the other man.

"As well as your daughter."

"Hai."

Smiling, everybody said their goodbyes and went towards their houses.

* * *

The sun had already set and the only light that was seen was from houses. Everybody had finished the work for today and now all of them were having a good time with their families during dinner. Natsuki's and Nina's families were at the same table. It was a tradition for the Kuga and Wang families to eat together. After all, they were close relatives and always enjoyed each other's company.

After her food was eaten, Natsuki excused herself and went outside. Saying thanks for the delicious meal, Nina followed her cousin. It didn't take her long to find her relative not far from house, standing in the field with something in her hands. Smirking, Nina quickly ran back to her house before returning to join Natsuki.

"Want to join?" asked Natsuki

"I think you already know the answer."

This time no reply came. The green eyed girl smiled before attacking her cousin. The thing that she was holding was an old blade which had belonged to her grandfather and which she had restored herself. In reply, Nina raised her own weapon: a sword which she took from their house and which belonged to her father, who had been one of Rome's legionaries before he returned home.

It had already been three years since her father came back. He had taken to living here in this quiet village and enjoying his peaceful life with his daughter. He was a great warrior and even had some honours, which made Nina wish to become a soldier even more. No matter how hard Sergay tried to change her mind, nothing worked. So the only thing that he could do was to support his daughter and help her with training—which she had every single day, just like she was doing now with Natsuki.

Finally, the two swords met, making loud noise. No one came out to check what happened. The villagers had already gotten used to the girls' evening trainings and had actually come to feel that it was scarier if they didn't hear the noise at night.

The blades rose and fell, cutting the wind on their way and sending loud echoes around the area after meeting each other. Both girls were really good fighters, which was improved by their training.

"Ha! I almost got you!" smiled Nina.

"Almost doesn't count" answered Natsuki and quickly sat down while hitting Nina behind her legs and making her fall. "But this counts!" she smirked while standing up.

"Oh you little—!"

"You need to practise more." Still smiling, Natsuki turned around.

"And do you know that it is stupid to turn back to the enemy?" said the other girl, while rushing towards her target.

"I do…"

She quickly stepped aside and turned around, on the way swinging her sword which landed only some inches away from back of Nina's neck.

"That is why I'm always ready" she crowed.

Nina just sighed.

"It seems you won this time too, but one day I will get you" she smiled at her cousin.

"I will wait for that day" answered Natsuki, taking away her sword.

Nina just smiled in reply. "Well…let's go home then?" she asked.

"Yep, let's go."

They turned around ready to leave the field when suddenly loud screams were heard from the village's direction. A bright fire appeared, blinding them with its brightness.

"What the—?!" said a frightened Nina.

"Barbarians…" answered Natsuki. "Hurry! We have to help our people!" she shouted, running towards the village with Nina behind her.

They were right…a big barbarian army had run into the village and begun to destroy everything in their way, killing everybody around them. Theirweapons swung in the air and fell, cutting everything what was possible to cut. Blood spread in all directions as the dead bodies of villagers fell on the ground. Citizens were forced to come out from their houses as all of them were on fire.

Women took their children into their arms and tried to run away and save them. Men took everything that could be used as a weapon. They used old swords, scythes…anything that was sharp or had any kind of power to sweep the enemy away.

This was what Natsuki and Nina saw when they ran into the village. The two girls raised their weapons and attacked the uninvited guests which had brought only blood and pain into their peaceful village.

"Stay away from them!" roared Natsuki as she cut down one of the enemies who was about to kill a young woman with a child.

"Run, _NOW_!" she ordered.

The girl bowed, thanking her saver. She ran away... but, unfortunately, was met with arrows from the enemy.

"NO! Bastards!" roared Natsuki as she started to cut everybody who stood in her way. "Nina! Go find our parents! Get them out of here!"

"And what about you?"

"I'll be fine! Now go!" ordered Natsuki before going into the heart of the battle.

"Natsuki! Damn! Why are you always so stubborn?!" shouted Nina before running towards her house.

After cutting through enemy troops she was finally able to see her house. Her father was there, threatening the enemies with one of his old swords.

"Otou-san!"

"Nina?!" he looked around and saw his daughter running towards him "What are you doing here?!"

"I came to help" she answered before cutting one of the enemies in half and stopping in front of her dear father.

"_Baka_, you should run away from here!"

"I won't leave you!"

"You really are my daughter" he smiled before standing back to back with her "And where is Natsuki?"

"Fighting the enemy… she ordered me to come and save you with uncle and aunt…"

"We'll be fine, better go and help her"

"I won't leave you!"

"I'll be fine, I'm warrior after all."

"But what about uncle and aunt?"

"There they are!" said Sergey watching as his brother and his wife were heading towards them. "Now go, help Natsuki!"

"Hai, otou-san" answered Nina.

She ran back, searching for her cousin. She ran and fought, but the enemy just came more and more and it seemed there was no end to them. Finally, after some searching, she was able to see her cousin in the middle of the fight, surrounded by enemies and covered in blood.

"Natsuki!" shouted Nina, running even faster.

"Nina? Didn't I tell you to protect our families?" asked Natsuki before sending more enemies to the other world.

"Otou-san ordered me to help you! I'm not going to deny his orders!"

"It seems I was right, you really has father complex."

"I don't!" protested flushed girl.

"Yeh right! Anyway concentrate on fight!"

Natsuki was right, without concentration things would go much worse. The enemy was attacking from all directions, shouting and hitting with all the strength they had. Although they weren't so good in fighting, they were more numerous and sooner or later it would end for villagers who had never fought before, except for a few people.

'_I won't die like this, I won't die today!' _Natsuki screamed in her head while killing several more people. She stood with Nina back to back and circled slowly while protecting and attacking.

"Natsuki lets go!"

"What? Where?!"

"Towards our families! They are not far from us! We have to help them!" she shouted while sending one more enemy to hell.

"Yeh! Lead the way! But don't separate from me!"

"Hai!"

Still standing back to back, they slowly pushed themselves through the crowd, hoping to get near their families as fast as possible so that they could help them and escape this hell. They were almost there when their ears caught a scream which sent shivers down their spines, making their faces go pale…It was a very familiar scream…

Fearing the worst, they looked in the direction from which the yell was coming—just in time to see a blade pass through Sergey's stomach, blood rushing from his mouth and his body falling down.

"_No!_" shouted Nina while watching in horror. Her father's blood splattered in all directions, soaking into the ground as his numb body collapsed. "_No!_"

Tears started to run down her face. Not thinking, she ran through the crowd of enemies towards her father, towards the men who killed him.

"Nina no! Wait!" shouted Natsuki, but the girl didn't hear her or she just didn't want to hear.

"Damn it!" swore the girl, also pushing herself through the mass, swinging her sword and making more blood drip and soak into the ground.

"Bastard!" Nina was shouting, attacking a man who had just killed her father. His body was about three times wider than hers and he was about two heads higher too. His yellow, dirty teeth were seen from his mouth, making one of the most disgusting smiles possible. On his back he had big axe and in one of his hands he had large sword, which would break a table in pieces with one swing and was now soaked with people's fresh blood. But Nina could not have cared less about it all, the only thing she wanted was to kill him or die trying. With loud cry she jumped at her opponent, trying to strike him with her sword.

But he got away from all her attempts with a loud laugh.

"Is it all you can do?" he laughed, making the girl mad.

"Nina, stop it!' ordered Natsuki who was only some meters away from them.

"No! He killed our whole family! I won't forgive him!" She attacked once more.

'_Whole family?!'_

Natsuki looked in her uncle's direction. A big lump stuck in her throat as she saw her own parent's dead bodies nearby, seeming to have been killed in an even more horrible way: they were cut into pieces.

'_How…how did he do it…no…'_

Natsuki's blood started to boil, hands tightly clenched around her weapon.

"Won't…forgive you…"

Her head rose and her green orbs looked straight at her opponent. Anger was clearly shown in them as they sparkled in the light of the fire.

Straining all her muscles, she ran at her opponent, shouting as loud as possible before her blade met the man's with a loud clatter. Still laughing, the enemy avoided both girls' attacks, but soon he understood that it wouldn't be so easy anymore.

Natsuki was mad but she still had her senses on, so using all her abilities she moved her sword with such speed that it couldn't be seen and soon it struck its target… the sharp blade of the sword passed into the enemy's face, leaving a deep scar and making him lose an eye. Deep pain ran through giant's body as he grabbed his injured part and shouted aloud: "Now you will die!"

With one swing of his sword, he sent Natsuki to the other end of the village. The only thing that saved her from being killed on the same spot was her sword, which she had placed between her body and the enemy. After flying some meters away, her back finally reached hard ground making her grit her teeth so that no sound would come out.

"Natsuki!" shouted Nina, but was cut off by another swing of the foe's sword, which she managed to evade by jumping backwards.

Hissing from pain, Natsuki slowly rose up, using sword as a prop. Her eyes glared at the one who had done this, who had pushed her. After observing him, she finally understood: He was the leader.

Her eyes sparkled with loathing and fury before she ran once again towards her opponent. This time, though, she was met by his underlings… who smiled to her, showing their yellow, dirty teeth.

Clenching her teeth together and furrowing her brow, Natsuki attacked and swung her sword without stop. They were nothing for her… just a bunch of annoying cockroaches who had to be shattered into hundreds of pieces. Much later, breathing heavily, she eyed the dead bodies around her… before hearing a scream which made her heart stop. Her head immediately snapped towards the noise, facing the scene she wished she would never see.

The large blade of the enemy's sword was pushed into Nina's stomach, making her scream from pain even as blood spluttered from her mouth. Her sword slowly fell from her numb hands. Her knees were weakening, not able to hold the weight of their owner any longer. She collapsed. The blade was still inside of her and blood slowly ran down it before dripping on cold earth.

Leisurely, Nina brought her cold hands towards the blade, her palms red from the warm blood she couldn't feel anymore. She couldn't feel anything…her senses dulled, sight became blurry and hearing, faint… The only thing she could hear was her cousin's weak scream, which was crying out her name. She turned her head in Natsuki's direction to see her dearest relative crying and running towards her, killing everybody who stood in her way.

"Natsuki…" she whispered under her breath, a loving smile tugging her lips "I tried…"

She trailed off, then fell on the cold ground.

"_NO!_"

With a jump, Natsuki flew towards her cousin's murderer, her sword shining above her head.

The leader of barbarians grinned, took his sword from Nina's body, and blocked Natsuki's strong assault, which made even him step back. He had no chance to rest as Natsuki continued her attack.

"_I'LL KILL YOU!!_" she roared, tears streaming down her face as she furiously struck her enemy, not giving him chance to make any move against her "YOU KILLED EVERYBODY WHO WAS DEAR TO ME!"

The man's grin disappeared as he tried all his best to stay untouched, which was more difficult now since it was hard to see movement with one eye. He had never expected that a girl could have such strength and it made him to shiver from fear. Never did he think that his end could be like this. But it was happening…her attacks becoming so powerful and swift that he started to miss some in his defence.

Deep cuts found their place on his dirty skin. Seeing that she was winning, she started to attack even more furiously, before a deep pain appeared in her back which was followed by another one… and another...

The barbarians, seeing that their master was in danger, had started to send arrows in Natsuki's direction. Not giving up, the girl continued to fight, but her speed started to disappear and it was not long before a big fist met her face, sending her down.

'_Is it the end?_' she thought, feeling no strength left to be able to get up. Her sight started to become hazy. Using her last strength she turned her head to meet Nina's body, which lay not far from hers.

"That little _bitch!_"

She heard the angry voice, but didn't care about it. The only thing she wanted was to reach her dear cousin, which was what she was trying to do at the moment. Using all the power that was in her, she moved her hand to try to reach the one whom she cared… or _had_ cared for… the most

"Nina…"

This was the last thing she said before another pain shot into her back and the world turned black.

* * *

Sooo...how was it? Hope not very bad! Oh and this time it is without mini feed, sorry. But if you want I will make one in new chapter ;)

Oh! And one more thing! If you see somewhere word 'Ok' please tell me,it doesn't have to be there!


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